The year is 2087, and State of Emergency on the Playstation 2 takes place in a dystopian future where The Corporation controls everything. People are generally happy, except for a resistance group called Freedom, who do not like The Corporation's dictatorial rule.
The player can choose from one of five different characters: Spanky, an ex-gang member; McNeil, a disgruntled ex-cop; Bull, a criminal in prison; Libra, a lawyer; and Phreak, an orphan. The player must complete a variety of missions, ranging from Rescue missions to "Kill This Person" missions to "Blow Up This ..." missions.
The gameplay is fast-paced and action-packed, with the player having many different weapons at his or her disposal, including shotguns, machine guns, pistols, knives, rocket launchers, tear gas launchers, flame-throwers, gatling guns, pepper spray, molotov cocktails and more. It is even possible to use street props, such as boxes, construction cones, benches, signposts, trashcans, and more.